Conveyor chain lubricators



INVENTOR.

ATTOIQNEV 8, 1955 E. c. CARSON CONVEYOR CHAIN LUBRICATORS Filed Sept.26, 1952 ELMEP C. C9PSO/V 3 "w {J ...l

United States Patent 2,720,941 CONVEYOR CHAIN LUBRICATORS Elmer C.Carson, Glendale, Califi, assignor to Knudsen Creamery Co. ofCalifornia, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporafion of California ApplicationSeptember 26, 1952, Serial No. 311,769 2 Claims. (Cl. 1845) floor which,when oil is used as a lubricant, aggravates the floor cleaning problem.

It has accordingly become the as a lubricant for these meeting and chainguides in this type of where these are used in processing food products.The soap thus used as a lubricant is readily washed away in the steamcleaning process and aids in cleaning the chain and surroundingequipment.

The use of soap in this manner as a lubricant has proved expensive,however, as the mechanisms provided for applying the soap have tended toapply excessive quantities of this. One factor contributing to this isthat these continue to apply soap solution to the chains even when thelatter are stopped, thus accumulating an excess of soap in the chainguide tracks and running off onto the floor while the chain is halted.The excess thus applied, of course, is wasted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple conveyorchain lubricator which will automatically apply soap solution to thechains of a chain conveyor in a manner which will result in aneconomical use of the soap and yet assure adequate lubrication of saidchains.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic conveyorchain lubricator in the form of a unit which will hold a supply of soappaste and will automatically convert this into a soap solution suitablefor applying to the conveyor as this solution is required.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a unithaving a mounting in the frame of the conveyor permitting said unit tobe readily removed from and re-inserted in operating position relativeto said conveyor when this is necessary for cleaning said unit.

The manner of accomplshing the foregoing objects as well as furtherobjects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in whichFig. l is a plan view illustrating a chain conveyor in which alubricator unit comprising a preferred embodiment of the invention isinstalled.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1 showing the solution tank of the invention in cross section.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 andshows the detailed structure of the porous solution applying wheels andthe structure of the mounting provided for these.

practice to employ soap surfaces on the chains conveyor, particularlyReferring specifically to the drawings, the invention is there shown asincorporated with a chain conveyor having a frame 11 including T-sectionlegs 12 which are connected near their upper ends by cross bars 13.Longitudinal angle frame members 14 rest on cross bars 13 and arepreferably connected to the legs 12 and cross bars 13 as by welding.Also supported on and welded to the cross bars 13 are longitudinalguides 15 and 16 for boxes, crates or cases which are transported on theconveyor 10.

Interspersed between the guides 15 and 16 and symmetrically disposedrelative to the latter are channel chain guides 17 which are alsosupported on and welded to the cross bars 13. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2,there is a gap 18 formed in the chain guides 17, end

guides 17 after said chains have closed said gap.

Resting in and traveling along the chain guides 17 are upper flights 20of endless conveyor chains 21 which perform the function in the conveyor10 of supporting boxes, crates or cases and conveying any of thesevarious types of commercial containers loaded with a fresh food product.The lower surfaces 25 of chain flights 20 slide on upper surfaces 26 ofthe chain guides 17 and it is for the purpose of keeping these twosurfaces constantly lubricated that the present invention is provided.

Extending across opposite ends of the space comprising the gap 18 in thechain guides 17 are a pair of rails 27,

access to the space immediately above said rails from one or both sidesof the conveyor 10.

Slidably supported on the rails 27 is a conveyor chain lubricator 30,this including a tank 31 which is preferably formed of galvanized sheetsteel or steel.

wall 40, the lower edge of which is spaced a slight distance upwardlyfrom the tank bottom 32, thus forming a narrow water transfer passage 41for the transfer of water from the basin 38 to the basin 39. The wall isapertured near its upper edge adjacent the wall 34 to receive a floatvalve 45 which is secured in place on said wall by a nut 46 (Fig. 1).This valve is constantly supplied with water under pressure from a watersystem (not shown) to which said valve is connected by a flexible hose47. Valve 45 is equipped with a float 48 which operates in thewell-known manner to shut off a flow of liquid from said hose 47 throughthe valve 45 and into the basin 38 when liquid in this basin rises to agiven level L. When water in said basin drops below level L, the float48 is lowered causing the valve 45 to admit water into the tank 31 torestore the water therein to the level L.

Upper edges of walls 35 and 36 are notched to receive opposite endportions of an assembly wire which extends through a tube 56, theopposite ends of said wire port the tube 56 in a given transverse planewhich substantially bisects the solution basin 39 longitudinally.

Rotatably mounted on the tube 56 are solution transfer wheels 60 whichare preferably molded of sponge synthetic rubber and are spaced apartfrom each other and held in the same vertical planes respectively thatthe chain flights 20 travel along, by spacer tubes 61, 62 and 63 and bywashers 64 which are apertured to loosely fit Operation To operate theconveyor chain lubricator 30, this is slipped in place so as to besupported by the rails 27, as

shown in the drawings, with Wheels 60 pressed upwardly against chainbottom surfaces 25. A quantity of soap 70 in paste or powder form' isdeposited in the basin 39 0f the 1 tank 31 so as not to completely closethe water transfer passage 41 at the bottom of the bafiie wall 40, andhose 47 is connected to a supply of water under pressure. The waterentering the basin 38 through the valve 45 passes from this basinthrough the passage 41 into the basin 39 and in so doing picks up soapfrom the mass 70 thereof so as to form a soap solution 71 which issuitable for use in lubricating the chain and guide surfaces 25 and26. i

With the lubricator 30 thus installed in place and prepared foroperation, any movement of the upper chain flights 20 in eitherdirection along the chain channel guides 17 causes .these chains torotate the lubricant feed wheels 60 thereby transferring soap solution71 to the bottom'chain surfaces 25. A portion of this lubricant is, ofcourse, carried along with the chains and transferred from the surfaces25 to the guide surfaces 26 so that the entire length of these surfacesis lubricated.

From the above description it is clear that an adequate supply of soapsolution is supplied to the wearing surfaces 25 and 26 throughoutthe'operation of the conveyor 10, yetthe feeding of solution to thesesurfaces is halted throughout the periods the conveyor is not running.This prevents the feeding of an excessive amount of solution 7 onto theconveyor and the wasting of the solution, while assuring adequatelubrication of the chain conveyor.

The claims are: 1. In an automatic lubricator for conveyor chains, thecombination of: a soap solution tank; means for removably mounting saidtank beneath the chains of a plural chain conveyor; a baffle wallprovided in said tank dividing the interior of said tank into a floatbasin and a soap solution basin, the lower edge of said wall beingspaced a short distance above the bottom of said tank to permit water toflow from said float basin into said solution basin at a point justabove the bottom of said tank, said solution basin being adapted to havedeposited therein a quantity of soap in paste form; float valve meansfor introducing water into said float basin to maintain the 0 liquid insaid tank at a given level and to cause water to flow beneath saidbaflie wall and along the upper surfaces of said soap deposit, therebyfilling said solution basin up to said level with soap solution formedby mixing said water with said soap paste; a pair of wheels theperipheral portions of which are formed of absorbent material and havinga diameter in excess of the vertical space between the lower faces ofsaid conveyor chains and said liquid level; and means on said tank formounting said wheels for free rotation on a horizontal axis with saidwheels disposed in the vertical planes of said chains with upperperipheral portions of said wheels contacting lower faces of said chainsand with the lower peripheral portions of said wheels dipping into saidsoap solution in said solution basin.

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said tank is provided withhorizontal flanges extending in opposite directions from a pair ofopposite walls thereof; and guide rails provided for supporting saidflanges and said tank for permitting said unit to be slid along saidrails to insert said tank into operative relation with said conveyorchains and to remove said tank from such a position for cleaning thelatter.

References Cited in the file of this patent

